Mobius Holiday Mayhem
Cosmo's Revival
By: SonicFanaticInc & Werehog20
After the celebrations were done, the large family went their separate ways to their own homes: Sonic, Manic, and Sonia in the Speed Star, Shadow and Aleena taking their own way back. Nega had to half drag the still moping Eggman to his vehicle since the... "Poached Egg" was destroyed. The Freedom Fighters all returned to their own places, and Tails, Cosmo, and their children Angelina and Autumn went back home via the old X-Tornado. Tails and Cosmo were nervous about the twins being in one of Tails' planes, but the X-Variant was more bulky and safe, especially after Tails installed additional seats for the twins and a 'baby on board' sticker on the back panel of the plane.
The ride home was relatively quiet for the twins, tired out from the heat and festivities, had fallen fast asleep and Cosmo merely stared out the window in silence. Worn out himself, Tails focused on the skies, fighting the weariness that seemed to weigh down his eyes. The countless stars made the sky seem endless and stationary as if they could fly forever and still be in the same spot. The young fox shook his head several times to bring everything back in focus and keep himself from being hypnotized by this effect.
At last, they arrived home, safe and sound. Together, Cosmo and Tails unloaded the X-Tornado of babies and diaper bags and went inside their home in the Mystic Ruins. Autumn and Angeline didn't even stir as they were put in their cribs and tucked in. With the children taken care off, Cosmo and Tails flopped down the couch, both of them exhausted. Tails kicked off his shoes and leaned back, closing his eyes with a tired sigh. Cosmo, who was quite fussy over the tidiness of their home, got up and placed both of their shoes in the proper place by the door. She sat down once more next to her husband who appeared to be dozing off. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped.
After a moment of thinking, Cosmo nodded to herself and tapped Tails gently on the shoulder, "Tails? Tails, please wake up for a moment."
After a bit of stirring Tails woke up, asking drowsily, "Huh? Ah, what is it Cosmo? The kids wake up?"
"No," she replied with a shake of her head, "The twins are fast asleep. I… I need to talk to yo- well rather I need to ASK you about something…"
"Sure, what is it?" Tails replied, slowly stretching and waking up more.
Cosmo hesitated, biting her lip and drumming her fingers nervously, "Well… It's about what happened earlier… when we were talking to the Freedom Fighters…"
Seeing his wife's nervous gestures and remembering what she was referring to, Tails broke into a similar behavior, scratching the back of his head and moving his two tails erratically, "Oh, you mean your story? Or... You mean afterwards don't you?"
The pretty Seedrian nodded slowly, "Yes… It's obvious it caused you a great deal of pain but…" Cosmo began to talk faster, wringing a fold of her dress in her hands, "But I want to know what happened. I never cared before cause I just SO happy to be with you but now I can't stop thinking about it! I'm very grateful and I don't want to pressure you but I-"
"I get it alright!" shouted Tails in panic, startling Cosmo, "Sorry, it's just that... Well... I guess what makes me panic more is the memories before that, when you were gone... Cosmo..." Tails broke off for a moment to recompose his thoughts before finishing, "I can't blame you for wanting to know. Heck, in hindsight, what I was trying to do was the impossible after all..."
"Tails…" Cosmo hugged her husband tightly, "If it hurts too much to talk about it, I'll be ok not knowing until you can tell me. Really. We can drop the whole thing right now if you want."
"No Cosmo..." answered Tails as he collapsed in Cosmo's embrace for a moment, "It's way overdue for you to know the story behind that. Besides, if I focus on the story itself, it's not as bad as... The other stuff."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am. You have a right to know after all Cosmo... Just... Give me a second to gather my thoughts... And a couple of mugs of coffee might be nice too, this could take a while..."
After Tails had a moment to sort out what he wanted to say, Tails and Cosmo settled down on the couch with a cup of coffee. With a couple of deep breaths, Tails begun to weave the tale of Cosmo's Revival.
Well, I guess the beginning would be the most logical place to start… After… you know… the big fight, it was tough to say the least. At first, I didn't know what to do with myself… I loved you so much and then you… were gone… All I had was a little seed... I couldn't even begin to think about what the seed meant as Sonic gave it to me and I collapsed. Sure, we went back to Mobius and saved the day, again, but this was different, crazy space travel and Metarex aside...
One of the first things I did when I returned was what I thought the most straight-forward, planting the seed in a small pot I had in my workshop. I guess I didn't really know what to expect; in hindsight, it would've been odd seeing you randomly pop out of a flower pot Cosmo... Eh heh... A few days after doing that, I was surprised when I saw that the seed had started to sprout. A part of me immediately thought that you were going to grow back, somehow, someway that I didn't understand, but I couldn't help but worry that I was just giving my hopes up...
Unfortunately, I was right. About a month later, the sprout had grown into a single rose. The odd thing was that it never bloomed… It always remained closed up in a bud, kinda like the buds you had on the sides of your head before they bloomed and the ones Angelina has now. I took care of the plant just like any other: watering it, giving it sunlight, it was all I knew at first. Instead of the plant making more progress or... dying, it remained exactly the same, just a closed bud... I should have known that such a special plant would have required something more than just stuff out of a gardening book, but my motivation just wasn't there…
Life moved on though, no rest for the weary. Eggman attacked just like always and we stopped him like always. I didn't fight as much, however, hardly saw any action. Even when Eggman literally tore the planet into several pieces, Sonic took off as usual while I stayed behind. The Werehog thing, or Chip/Light Gaia for that matter, not as usual, but that's besides the point. When he needed to cross to another continent that was still separated, I was there for him, and I backed him up with missiles from my Tornado when Eggman launched an aerial assault. The entire time though, back at my workshop, the plant remained the same.
Cosmo put a hand on Tails' shoulder to comfort him, "I'm sorry Tails… As awful as I feel about the whole thing, I can't help but being a bit touched and happy at how much you tried to care for me. So I grew into a rose bud and stopped… I can't remember anything like that happening before on my homeworld… You know, before the Metarex."
Tails shook his head as he responded, "That's what I heard when I went to the new Seedrian Homeworld, that it was nothing they saw before. Not that I would've known beforehand, I may be a scientist, but I'm not a Biologist, let alone a Seedrian Biologist/Physiologist!"
"You went to the new Seedrian Homeworld BEFORE our honeymoon? Is that how you knew about it?"
"Yeah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I didn't just find it right off the bat…"
What gave me the idea to search was, ironically enough, another adventure with Sonic in space. Not deep space like our adventure, this was the one where Eggman tried to enslave multiple planets to make his "Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park." The name still sounds ridiculous, yet it had us all fooled even if it was for a little while I suppose... Anyways, seeing the various planets inhabited by the Wisps reminded me of the various worlds we visited, and that's when it occurred to me.
I remembered that awful moment when you were holding Dark Oak in place, telling me to pull the trigger… I remembered that you said that by destroying you and Dark Oak, the seeds of your people would be released into the galaxy and the Seedrians would be reborn. So, I thought that maybe if I could find where all of the new Seedrians went, then maybe they could help me. So I made up my mind to dust off the X-Tornado, which I hadn't used since then and was still space-worthy, and find it. Where ever it was.
Heh, when I told Sonic and Knuckles what I intended to do, they looked at me like I was nuts. Knuckles especially thought the idea was absurd. He pointed out over and over how space was so vast and the new homeworld could be anywhere. He meant well though, he just didn't want me getting lost on a wild goose chase. But my bro Sonic had my back. He looked me right in the face and said, "Tails… You do what you gotta do. We'll be waiting for you to come back. Both of you. Take this, who knows it could come in handy." He gave me the White Chaos Emerald and that cool little smile of his and I left.
Having the support of my friends was just the sort of boost I needed. I installed the Chaos Emerald in the X-Tornado, packed the rose bud plant in an incubation bubble to keep it safe, fired up the engines, and just like that I was on my way. Although… when I got into space it struck me that I actually had NO idea where to begin! Sure, Knuckles can find the shards of the Master Emerald throughout Mobius, but he had a point: I was trying to find a planet throughout the galaxy! One I had no clue of at that!
After a bit of thinking and searching on my Miles Electric, I figured that the first step would be to revisit any inhabited planets I was already aware of, hoping one of them had a clue to the whereabouts of the new Homeworld. Man, I visited so many planets that I eventually lost count. Ha ha, I must have looked like a crazy person carrying around a potted plant in a plastic bubble! Nearly everywhere I went the locals tried to be helpful, but no one really seemed to know anything. The citizens of one planet I went to were sure they knew what I was talking about and gave me the coordinates to what they assured me was what I was looking for.
I got so excited that I didn't even really look at the coordinates all that closely; I just blasted off as fast as I could. If I had looked, I wouldn't have been so disappointed… When I got to the location, I found out it was your PREVIOUS homeworld… There was a little bit of plant life starting to make a comeback but other than that, it was utterly deserted. Chaos, I was crushed. When I got over that, I got mad. I mean, it wasn't their fault, they didn't know. Still, I was furious that I had been led to a dead end. At that point I had been bumbling through space for a while, about a month, maybe a couple. I lost track at some point. That dead end though was enough to make me want to give up and go home…
"Oh Tails…" whispered Cosmo as she bit her lip. She could see the love of her life was having a difficult time telling her the story and it pained her. It wasn't much of a stretch to picture him on some cold dead planet in the middle of outer-space, angry and discouraged. Cosmo could picture Tails' namesakes lashing about angrily as he kicked over a dead shrub or punched a tree out of sheer rage and frustration. "I've never seen you give up on ANYTHING though…"
Tails sighed, "I almost did that day… But when I got back in the X-Tornado, my mind made up about going home, I saw your plant sitting in its little bubble next to me on the seat… I knew that I couldn't give up because that would mean failing you… So I decided that even if it took me forever and I found myself at a million dead ends, I wouldn't give up."
"Tails… I couldn't ask for a better husband. But wait, where would go if you searched all the planets you knew?" asked Cosmo as she hugged Tails encouragingly.
"Well, there was one more that I hadn't visited. Do you remember Planet Marmolim?"
"How could I not remember? All of those silly charms and Amy trying to use them to get Sonic to love her! Thank goodness they didn't work given the way things are now eh heh... And, of course…" Cosmo's face flushed as red as the roses on her head, "Our moment together in that beautiful, moonlit pool… From the moment we met I had a feeling about you Tails, but it was that moment that made it clear in my heart… We were destined to be more."
Tails smiled, his white muzzle taking on a similar shade of crimson as he took Cosmo's hand in his, "More is an understatement, my blossom..." The couple shared a tender kiss before Tails cleared his throat and continued, "Well Planet Marmolim was the only place I hadn't been yet so that became my next stop."
Part of me didn't want to go back to Marmolim though... Silly charms and rituals aside, it pained me to go back to the very place we had our romantic moment without you, the real you as opposed to the rose anyways. It's no wonder I kept pushing that planet back on my list every time I changed course, but if only I had known that the planet held the answer I was looking for so long, then I would've headed there instantly!
Unfortunately, since I had avoided it, I found myself a quarter galaxy away from the damn place! The journey there doubled the time I had spent out in space so far. It's a lucky thing I was using the Emerald for power; if I had used actual fuel, I would have been stranded a long time ago. There's no radio out in space, obviously, so it was dead quiet save for the engines. Nothing but black and little white dots as far as the eye could see. There was several times I thought I was going to lose my mind! I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but… I couldn't help but talk to you… I knew you were, sadly, just a potted plant and couldn't hear me or answer back, but I HAD to do something to keep my sanity intact… I never got to the point where I answered for you, thank Gaia, but if you had ears, I would have talked them off heh heh. It made me feel better though; it made me feel less alone out there.
Anyways, I FINALLY got to Marmolim, and I was met with a pretty warm reception. Remember Lue, Momo, and Lylem? They were the first ones to greet me as I hopped out of the X-Tornado. They were super excited to see me and asked me a dozen questions all at once. "Whoa, calm down you guys!" I had said, holding your pot close so it wouldn't get knocked onto the ground in the commotion, "I'm glad to see you again too but one at a time please!"
Lue spoke first, "TAILS! It's so great to see you! What brings you back to Marmolim?"
"Hey! Where's Sonic and Amy, and the others? Did Amy ever marry Sonic? We gave her all the right charms," asked Momo.
Lylem yelled over both of them and pointed at you, "And what's with the potted plant? Oh, is it a gift for us?"
"NO!" I instantly shouted as I took a step back and held onto the bubble tightly. The three were shocked for a moment before I calmed myself down and added, "Sorry about that... Mind if we go somewhere so I can explain?"
The three Marmolians led me back to the large main building where their fortune teller leader Ghana was, where we had our fortunes told and you ran off because of a grim prediction... We all sat down at the long table, their meeting room/fortune telling place filled with strange symbols and charms all around.
Ghana greeted me just as warmly as the others while holding his set of "magical" coins in his hands, "Ah, Tails! It's good to see you two, but you're late! Did something happen on your way here?"
I was totally caught off guard by just about every single world he said, "What do you mean late? And why did you say 'you two'?"
He simply chuckled and pointed to you, "Why, your friend Cosmo is with you! That's what I mean!" He laughed a little more, "It looks like she's lost some weight! Hoho!"
"That's Cosmo?!" exclaimed Lue as he looked closely.
Momo giggled, "A rose by any other name is still a rose!"
Lylem elbowed her and snickered, "Maybe this is where her shyness STEMMED from?"
I know that the Marmolians like to joke around a lot and that they mean well, but it was just poor timing… I couldn't help but snap, "SHUT UP! Do you have any idea what she's been through?! What I'VE been though?! If you were in mine, or Cosmo's shoes, you sure as hell wouldn't be laughing!" Once more they were stunned into silence. I sat there, head down as I tried not let tears escape and get myself under control again.
"I may not know everything, Tails," began Ghana as he spread the coins out on the tabletop, "But my coins and the stars have told me enough. Ever since my coins predicted the unique romance between the two of you, I knew that the universe had something special in store. I've occasionally read the stars for your fates and I know both of you have suffered more than any two lovers should. I also know you are here for a very important reason."
"I am…" I carefully set your bubble onto the table and explained, "This is indeed Cosmo. In our final battle with the Metarex, she sacrificed herself so that Dark Oak could be defeated. All I had left was a little seed that grew into this rose. The other seeds of her people were spread across the galaxy. I'm looking for them so they can help me put her back the way she was."
"I see..." Ghana thought for a moment before responding, "Fortune tellers we may be, but as I have stated before, Cosmo's fate was always a bit cloudy... As for the Seedrians, the coins have told me of their revival. Coincidentally, a new star appeared in the sky at the same time, a new home for them I assume."
When I heard that, I was filled with hope again, "Really? The Seedrians are truly alive?! Where are they!? Where is their homeworld?! What are its coordinates?"
Momo giggled that high pitched little rattle of hers, "Co or dinants? What's that? Types of ants?"
"UGH! Do you have charts? Like a map of the stars?"
"Sure we do! Right here!" Lue unrolled a huge star chart on the table. "See look, this is The Great Warrior, this is the Rapid River, and the-"
My frustration was growing quickly as I cut him off, "No, no, I'm not talking about constellations! I need a MAP so I can find the planet!" I scanned the chart myself but its was ridiculously marked up with patterns and tracings. "Grrr… This is completely useless!"
Ghana came behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, "I'm sorry Tails, we map the heavens for signs, not travel. However, I invite you to stay until nightfall. Then, I will show you this new star myself. Besides, if my coins are correct, which they always are, you've traveled long and hard. Take a rest."
After trying to making to sense of the Marmolians chart once more, I gave in with a sigh, "Ok… Thank you, I really do appreciate your help."
"It's no trouble, this is the role the universe has assigned us in your story and we'll do our best to fulfill it completely."
"I just wish whoever's writing Cosmo's and my story would be a little nicer…" After that, the Marmolians gave me some food and a soft bed to rest in, something I had been missing after having to cross about quarter of the galaxy. I was sure that excitement and impatience would keep me awake, but as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out like a light. It worked out in my favor that Marmolian days are longer than ours so I was able to get a solid seven, eight hours of well needed rest.
Finally, when the sun was beginning to set, Lue came and woke me. We went outside where Momo, Lyelm, and Ghana were waiting. Ghana was staring up at the sky, rubbing his coins between his fingers. I had opened my mouth to speak but he raised his other hand in a motion for silence. So we all stood there, staring at the darkening sky, watching as the stars came out one by one. "THERE!" exclaimed Ghana as he pointed upwards. Leaning back and looking as far up as I could, I could see the particular star he was referring to.
The star was slightly brighter than the others around it, and if you looked hard enough, it almost seemed to have a green tinge in its glow. "I see it… That's the new star that appeared? How long ago did it show up?" I asked, already making the mental calculations of how far away it was.
"That star appeared a few years ago. Ever since its birth, it has been growing steadily brighter, radiating the light of a new world and new life. I read it as a good omen not only for the Seedrians but for your journey as well. If anywhere in this galaxy will provide you with the answers you seek Tails, it is there."
Instantly I felt a surge of energy and I was ready to go. I was already turning to go grab your pot from the room I had stayed in as I called over my shoulder, "Thanks so much guys! I'll see-"
"Hold on Tails!" Ghana grabbed my wrist, "There's one more thing. You can't very well leave Marmolim without one of our famous charms can you?"
I stopped in my tracks to turn around and chuckle a bit nervously, "I appreciate the offer but I really should be-"
Before I could finish, Ghana placed a vial of sparkling water in my hand and had me grasp it tightly, "I insist Tails, take this vial. This is not ordinary water nor one of our standard charms, for you see, it contains water from the magical moonlit lake. I shouldn't need to explain why this would be important, eh?"
I held up the vial to the night sky, and sure enough, the water in the vial started to illuminate a bright aqua color just like the lake did under the full moon that special night, "Wow... I... Thanks so much guys, this really means a lot. I'll take care of it so that I can show Cosmo and return someday..."
"That's the spirit, NOW go on and fulfill your destiny Tails! Demonstrate to the heavens your determination to revive your loved one and you'll find out what fate has in store!"
With a final round of farewells, I packed up my things, including your plant and now the vial of moonlit water, and blasted off in the X-Tornado in the direction of the new star, the new Seedrian Homeworld.
Cosmo couldn't help but laugh a little in spite of herself, "Who would thought the Marmolians of all people would prove to be helpful!"
Tails chuckled a bit as well, "I suppose so, but what I find more astonishing is that their fortune telling and astrology actually worked in my favor as opposed to my more methodical approach. That made me think twice!"
"I'll bet! Although… You said that you promised Ghana you would show me the vial right? What happened to it?"
Tails couldn't help but be a bit sad as he responded, "I meant to show it to you Cosmo, but that vial was more important than I thought..."
The pretty Seedrian cocked her head slightly in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you in a moment, but first, I need to explain a bit more before I bring up the vial again."
After leaving Planet Marmolim, I traveled in the direction of this new green star that Ghana had told me about. I was in such a rush, I would have broken every single driving law in space, if there were any! Even with my renewed hope and pushing the X-Tornado to its limit, it still took another week or so before I even got there. The whole time I kept wishing that I could get there already, the green star slowly becoming more visible as a planet but still out of my reach.
Still, as impatient as I was, I have to admit the view was stunning… On the way I passed through an asteroid field. It was dangerous but beautiful as each one seemed to glow with little crystals embedded in their craters. When I got to the planet itself, the planet was big with gold and blue rings of space dust and ice looping around it. It's surface was like a marble, swirled and spiraling with hues of green and deep blue… Just like when viewed from afar, the whole thing gave off a pale green glow… Sorry, I'm ranting, you remember how gorgeous it looked when we went there for our honeymoon.
In any case, I was finally approaching the planet's atmosphere. Because I had been pushing the X-Tornado so hard for all the time I've been searching, the ride in was rough. The plane bucked and bounced around like crazy while the temperature skyrocketed inside the cockpit. I was sure the hull was going to breach and well… I wouldn't be here to tell this story. Lucky for me, the hull held and I made a safe, if not seriously bumpy, landing.
When I pulled myself together after the bumpy landing and made sure your bubble was safe, I slowly opened the cockpit and couldn't help but be amazed by the environment of the new Seedrian Homeworld. Since we had visited your old world after the Metarex ruined it, the rest of us never got to see how nice of a world you had Cosmo, but after seeing it for myself, I was left speechless. I had managed to land in a flowery meadow near one of the major cities of the planet, but I didn't even notice it at first due to how well the nature and buildings meshed together. In the opposite direction from the city I saw giant jungles filled with vines, fruit, and all sorts of foliage that made the jungles of Mobius look like a small forest! And when I finally did see the city, the homes and other buildings were decorated to the brim with flowers, vines, trees, everything!
When I walked through the archway into the city, I found myself in a large plaza where a variety of shops were set up. Everywhere I looked, I found what I had been looking for: the home of the new Seedrians. The plaza was HUGE! There was a dozen little streets shooting of from it, each marked by an arch adorned with flowers and vines. I slowly strolled around the outer edge, peeking down these sub-streets which all seemed to lead to residencies. I got to the center and there was a larger street that led deeper into where all of the larger, grander buildings were. All around me was beauty, the air was so fragrant it was overwhelming...
I stood in the center of the plaza, taking it all in… and then I realized something. Everyone was staring at me! By now most of the Seedrians in the plaza had noticed me and the watched me with shocked eyes. I could hear them whispering to each other in worry, excitement and confusion. Some of them even pointed to you in your bubble. I began to feel a bit worried because I hadn't actually thought about what I was going to say or do once I had arrived... Not knowing what else to to do, I took a deep breath and approached the nearest group of Seedrians, a girl with daisies all over her head and an a guy with huge, branching antlers. "Ummm excuse me… I know this must be a real shock but my name is Miles Prower. But, um, you can call me Tails."
The daisy Seedrian chuckled nervously as she offered her hand, "My name is Dasilion. This is my friend, Cedar."
"How you doin'?" asked Cedar slowly as he shook my hand as well.
I could sense the nervousness from both Seedrians, quickly explained, "I've been on a long journey, so excuse me if I seem out of place or anything eh heh... Would you guys mind if I asked for a bit of information about this place?"
Cedar cleared his throat and gestured around him, "Well, uh, this place you're standing in now is the outskirts of New Green Gate. A lot of us live here but there are a few other towns spread out, and some live in the main city too."
"We call it New Green Gate in honor of our original homeworld. According to legend and history, a terrible fate befell it. But, while we know it was a beautiful planet and we miss it, we also really love it here too. It's perfect for our needs." Suddenly, Dasilion gasped and pointed to your pot, "Speaking of needs, it would seem your little plant is in need of some help!"
"Wha-?" I looked into the bubble and examined you closely but I didn't really see anything out of the ordinary. Your stem appeared to be drooping a little but that was it, "She seems ok… Maybe all that space travel took a bit of a toll. I know it did on me."
"Perhaps you should open that bubble? Give her a little fresh air?" suggested Cedar as he bent down to look. With a nod I opened up your bubble. The small breeze ruffled your leaves and it almost seemed like your stemmed straightened a little too. "There, she looks a little better already!"
I examined you once more myself and smiled, "You're right! I almost forgot how closely Seedrians are connected with plants. How else would you know Cosmo is a she?"
Both of them gasped as Dasilion exclaimed, "Did-did you just say Cosmo?!" Others around us heard her and appeared shocked as well as your name began to ripple through the plaza.
"Um, yes... Her name is Cosmo..." I replied a bit nervously while taking a look at your plant then around, unsure of what was going on.
"Could it be...? THE Cosmo? If so then the legends are true… The savior of us all… The one who made Cosmathia even possible in the first place!" muttered Cedar as he backed away slightly, "I can't believe it!"
"Whoa wait what?!" I couldn't help but be surprised yet confused, "Cosmathia? Legends? What are you guys talking about?"
An older Seedrian female stepped forward from the crowd with a large sunflower in bloom on her head, "Our new home: Cosmathia was named for the savior of the Seedrian race, Cosmo, last daughter of Earthia. The legends speak of her sacrifice and the courage of another… You must be that other! We have not just Cosmo to thank for our new home but you as well, young one!"
This information was quite a lot to take in, but from what it sounded like, their legend was referring to our adventure against the Metarex. As I was trying to find a way to respond properly, the crowd of Seedrians that had gathered were also shouting out their own input. Some were just as optimistic and interested, claiming that their savior had returned, while others were skeptical about a random two tailed animal from space, with a plant randomly called Cosmo.
Just as it seemed things might get out of hand, an authoritative voice rang out, "Whoa, whoa! What's going on here?!" The crowd parted to reveal a stout looking male Seedrian wearing an official looking uniform and badge.
"Oh, Peacekeeper Birch! Can you not see?! Our savior and her companion have returned to us!" explained the old sunflowered female as she gestured to us, "This is a joyous day!"
"Savior? Solara you know those are just-" the Peacekeeper instantly stopped when he caught sight of us. "Um… Just who exactly are you?"
"Our savior and her companion! I told you!"
I chuckled nervously, "Heh, My name is Miles but you can call me Tails. I'm here looking for help for Cosmo. As you can see, she's not exactly herself…"
Peacekeeper Birch scratched his head in confusion as he walked closer, "We don't exactly get a lot of visitors of your kind… Or any at all for that matter... But that looks like just a normal-" He gasped as he got within arm's reach of your pot. "That rose… There's something… Sweet Earthia…"
Solara nodded briskly, "Do you believe now? Can you feel her life force?" When Peacekeeper Birch did not reply, all of the doubters began to speak up once more, demanding that they get closer to feel for themselves.
Instantly snapping out of it, Peacekeeper Birch turned back to me, "Tails was it? I think you to come back to base with me. Things are about to get a little rowdy around here. Hang on to that pot for dear life." It was tough but eventually we got through the crowd and back to the Peacekeeper Base in between the smaller town I had just been in and the main part of New Green Gate. As we walked through the small building, everyone cast a curious glance at us, but anybody close by instantly got a look of shock on their face. I held your pot close, scared someone would take you or something awful would happen. Birch led us back to a big office which belonged to their Chief.
I was ushered inside and invited to sit. I gotta say, I've faced some intimidating people before but I would put the Peacekeeper Chief near the top. He was incredibly tall, well built, and had huge, strong branches coming from the sides of his head. After hearing what your people were like when they went all berserker mode, I couldn't help but think this guy was half way there!
Anyways, after he had shaken my hand, he introduced himself: "Greetings, I'm Chief Oaktrunk. I'm sure you've heard this a dozen times by now, but that is one VERY unusual potted plant you have there."
"Hello, my name is Miles Prower, but everyone calls me Tails. And yes, I've heard that comment since I stepped foot on your planet; it's the reason I sought out this planet in the first place actually."
"Really now? Your presence here has caused quite a ruckus in quiet little New Green Gate. What are you trying to accomplish exactly?" asked Chief Oaktrunk as he pulled out a little notebook.
"Well, I searched for the new Seedrian Homeworld in the hopes of reviving her, Cosmo," I gestured to your plant, "And from what I understood, the Cosmo I know is the same as the one in the legend they were saying back there..."
The Chief scoffed slightly, not rudely but almost in amusement, "You've run into Solara haven't you? She's a kind old dear but she's a little too wrapped into those bedtime stories. She'll spin yarns all day if you let her."
I couldn't help but be a bit offended, "But it's true! I was with Cosmo when she defeated Dark Oak, when she sacrificed herself to bring your people back! And when she did, she reverted back into a seed that grew into this plant..." I sighed a bit as I realized how crazy this must've sounded to someone who didn't believe me.
"Listen son, I've heard all of those stories a billion times since I was a sapling. You don't have to recite them to me. Let's say they're all true. What proof do you have that your little rose is the Cosmo of legend?"
I had to struggle for a moment, annoyed yet upset that their Peacekeepers didn't want to believe me while everyone else on Mobius understood and were there when it happened!
"Wait, that's it!" I pulled out my Miles Electric and quickly started scrolling through old files until I found one in particular: a picture of the entire group during the surprize party you threw for everyone, "Here, this photo is from a few years ago. This was after a run in with the Metarex. In the middle of the photo you can see me next to Cosmo, one of the last Seedrians left at that point who was traveling with us! Even the plant I have here looks like the buds on her, and for that matter, how many Seedrians react to a potted plant like that huh?! I... It's..." I had to stop myself and take a couple of deep breaths as the situation, along with opening that old photo with you in it, was making me lose it.
Chief Oaktrunk watched me carefully before looking at your plant and asking, "May I? I promise I won't hurt it."
I remained there for a moment, trying to stop myself from going crazy, before I slowly looked back up and slowly nodded, a bit scared of what he was going to do. He reached out and touched one of your leaves as gently as could be. For several moments the Chief remained quiet, not saying a word. His silence and impossible to read features were beginning to make me want to lose it. I couldn't stand it, it was so quiet I could hear my own blood pounding in my ears!
At last Chief Oaktrunk leaned back and said calmly, "You have to get a handle on yourself. It makes her upset to feel you like this…"
I looked carefully at your plant as I asked, trying to stay calm, "Make her upset...? So you can sense Cosmo too...?"
"I can't really say WHAT I sense in that rose… It's like nothing I've ever felt… But she's counting on you to stay strong. You and this rose have something very powerful indeed. I don't know what… But what I do know is that she needs help, help you won't find here in New Green Gate."
"That's exactly what I'm looking for, but where do I go if it's not here?"
Chief Oaktrunk picked up the telephone on his desk and began to dial, "I think where you need to go is in the capital: Earthia-la. There's a lot of scientists and what-not so maybe they can help you with your rose. I'm calling the Peacekeeper Chief over there to get someone out here to take you there."
"I hope they can help Cosmo..." I muttered before I added, "The capital Earthia-la huh? Alright, that sounds like a good place to go. If it's alright, I'll be back at my X-Tornado fixing it up since it's my way back... And I hope I didn't cause any damage by the way eh heh..."
"It's quite alright. No harm done except making our day a bit unusual. It was nice meeting you Tails. If someone actually picks up over there for once, a shuttle will arrive in a bit to escort you to Earthia-la. Oh, and just so the townsfolk don't pester you, ask Peacekeeper Birch to help you back to your craft. Good luck."
"Um, Chief Oaktrunk, if I may ask something?"
"What would that be, Tails?"
"You said earlier that this legend that seems to be tied back to Cosmo is told a lot, especially to children. But why is it then that the planet itself is called Cosmathia and the capital is Earthia-la? Do you know just how much of that legend is truth? And did that story... have a proper ending perchance...?"
The Chief sighed and thought for a moment, "Well… I know some of it is true. There really was an Earthia, school is a long distant memory for me but I believe one of her last children WAS named Cosmo… The Metarex were real too as they were later the cause of the original Green Gate's downfall. As for how it all ended… That's where a lot of the debate comes in. Obviously we didn't just appear here but everyone can't agree on how exactly."
"I suppose that's understandable given the way it happened... While it was fun and games on the Typhoon..." I looked back at the picture still on my Miles Electric, "If you believe me, it was a lot of trouble and close calls too. And even then, well... Here I am, still trying to bring back the one who supposedly brought you all back and the one I... love..." I had to shake off the feeling of heartache again, trying to stay focused to not cause another uproar, or hurt your plant for that matter.
"You've lost me son. Remember what I said though. She doesn't do so well when you start getting like that. I'm sure-" Chief Oaktrunk stopped suddenly and listened. He covered the receiver with his hand and explained, "They finally picked up. I'll get that shuttle out here. You just keeping on keeping on." With a little salute he turned away and began to talk to the other person on the line.
With a quiet thanks, I nodded back and left the Peacekeeper Base with Birch and returned to my X-Tornado to make some repairs. Luckily, it was only minor fixes that didn't require more than my expansive set of tools and a spare part of two for the landing gear. After that, it was just a small wait near the entrance of New Green Gate before I went to Earthia-la.
As soon as Tails paused to take a breath, Cosmo immediately asked, "So when you first came, they believed that our adventure was nothing more than a bedtime story for children?"
Tails chuckled for a bit before responding, "Well more like a combination of history and legend. They knew about some of the events such as Green Gate's destruction and the Metarex, but they were missing pieces such as the war that started the dilemma in the first place and our role in saving the galaxy. If anything, it was fortunate that they knew that much in the first place. But yeah, that made dealing with the Peacekeepers and other skeptical Seedrians problematic..."
"Goodness… I imagine you must gotten sick of repeating yourself and trying to convince people like Chief Oaktrunk."
"Angry, a couple of times... Heartsick on the other hand, more than I'd like to admit..." added Tails with another small laugh while blushing.
Cosmo leaned over and kissed Tails on the cheek before giving him a supportive hug, "I wish I could've backed you up somehow… If I just could have said something to make it easier for you…"
"Sigh... In a way, you did since Seedrians are capable of reading the states, and by extent your emotions, of plants in a way I could never achieve..."
"I'm glad I was able to be useful somehow instead of just sitting in that pot. One thing I'm curious about is that the people you met in the plaza AND Chief Oaktrunk said I needed help. I mean it's obvious I did since I was just a plant in a pot but just what exactly did they mean? What were they picking up on?" asked Cosmo, thinking of all the plants she herself had come in contact with, young and old, sick and healthy.
"I didn't know much beyond the obvious myself, not at first anyways. And even when I did get to Earthia-la, a lot of the work we did was theoretical and experimental."
"I see… I would ask what you did but that sounds like it comes along a little later. So what happened when you got to Earthia-la?"
Not too long after I had made it back to the X-Tornado, the shuttle arrived. To this day I'm still extremely impressed with Seedrian technology. The shuttle had a slick design meant for speed and utilized a anti-gravity propulsion system powered completely by solar energy. If there's anything the galaxy could learn from your people, Cosmo, it's mastering clean, efficient technology. The one sent to get me was another Peacekeeper named Oleander. He was all to happy to tell me all about Earthia-la and how Seedians had built it.
From what he told me, Earthia-la was first settlement set up on the planet when the Seedrians arrived. It started out as a small village, but as the population grew, it expanded into the glorious city it is today. When things began to get crowded, the citizens began spread out more, wanting to stay close to nature instead of making large cities like ones on Mobius. That's how smaller cities like New Green Gate were formed.
From the air, Earthia-la was quite a sight. The first view I had was of the center of the city where the two huge spires lined with solar panels twirl around each other into the sky, supported by the large dome seemingly made entirely of glass. Spiraling outwards were other buildings of varying heights with clusters of solar panels scattered on their surface. Even from above, I could still tell that everything in the city was covered in plant life. Throughout the city were huge gaps in the buildings where cells of green wildlife were plain to see; in fact, ringing the huge building in the center was a rainbow belt of wildflowers.
After a quick fly over, Peacekeeper Oleander, or Ole as he kept insisting, landed us outside the spire building. He took me inside and I met with a high up offical, an ambassador of sorts I think. The conversation was more or less the same as the one I had with Chief Oaktrunk so I'll spare you the details. The key difference though was that he was extremely intrigued and took me to another part of the building. I was relieved to see equipment and instruments everywhere to indicate that this was a scientific facility of sorts.
There, after a brief backstory, I was left with the head scientist, Doctor Goldenrod, a no nonsense female Seedrian who greeted me with with a quick firm handshake, "Well Miles, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Might I add you sure have an interesting story."
"Hello Doctor Goldenrod, likewise. And you can call me Tails by the way. This facility sure is interesting; what kind of work is done here?"
"All kinds of research. From medicine to technology to the study of ourselves. I'm not sure if you're aware, Tails, but this new home of ours is just that; NEW. There's quite a lot we don't know about ourselves and how we got here," replied Dr. Goldenrod as she made a sweeping gesture about the room.
I slightly chuckled out of nervousness as I held up your plant, "I'm well aware of that Doctor... For, you see, I'm trying to bring back the one that brought back the Seedrians in the first place..."
She nodded and examined you closely, "Yes… this little rose bud is certainly unusual… Do you sincerely believe that this plant is Cosmo, last daughter of Earthia?"
Regaining a more serious tone, I replied, "Not only do I believe so, but I was a part of the events that brought back the Seedrians in the first place. I saw Cosmo sacrifice herself to bring all of you back, and this plant right here is all that remains of her. I'm trying to find some way to bring her back, and since I'm no Biologist/Seedrian expert, I sought this planet out in hopes that you could assist me."
"I see… Around here we don't put much stock in children's stories and wild theories," My hopes sank as she said this but after she paused Dr. Goldenrod added, "But I believe you. There is something striking about this rose's life force; something I've never felt before in ordinary plant life. Follow me, I know just the two scientists that might be able to help you."
Doctor Goldenrod led me further into the facility to a corridor marked 'Biology/Physiology Studies'. Inside were many more labs and different kinds of equipment. In the middle of the corridor was a break room of sorts with a few scientists relaxing and talking amongst themselves. When Doctor Goldenrod and I stepped in, a quiet fell over the room and all eyes fell on me and your plant.
"What in the name of sweet Earthia is going on with that rose?!" exclaimed a female Seedrian from where she sat near the back of the room.
"You can sense Cosmo from the other side of the room?" I asked, a bit excited.
"Indeed she can. This is Orchadia. She's head of our Seedrian Biology studies and has the strongest connection with plant life I've ever seen," explained Dr. Goldenrod as Orchadia walked up to meet me.
"You better believe it. Is it just me or did I hear you call it 'Cosmo'?" she asked. Orchadia instantly bent to examine you. She wore rimless glasses and had a large purple orchid in bloom on her head as well as two smaller white ones on the sides. "Cause as crazy and ridiculous as that is… I'd be inclined to believe you…"
"You... You would? How... Can you tell? Anyone else that I asked... Either denied it or was at least skeptical..." I stuttered as I couldn't believe that I finally found a group of Seedrians that believed my story, as crazy as it must've sounded.
Orchadia stood once more, "Of course most wouldn't believe you. They can't sense what I can. Not to mention, if you're implying what I'm thinking, that this plant is the Cosmo of legend… It's simply too fanciful to even conceive!"
"But, you said that you believe there's something to it?" asked Dr. Goldenrod slowly, watching me, as if to gauge my reactions. It was unnerving but I don't blame her, in the 20 minutes I'd been around I had gone from friendly, to nervous, to excited and everything in between. I would have been keeping a close eye on me too…
After a painfully long pause Orchadia nodded, "Definitely. To define just exactly what I sense in this rose, however, would require a little more time and study. It would time well spent though."
"Very well. I'd like you to put whatever projects you're doing on hold and assist Tails here. Also, is Briar around?"
"Right here!" came a shout from behind us. Exiting another room was a tall male Seedrian with thorny antlers, "What's all the fuss about Doctor G?"
"Tails, meet Briar. He'll be assisting you and Orchadia."
Briar extended his hand, "Hey pal, name's Briar as you might have guessed. I'm in charge of Physiology studies, particularly Seedrian reproduction and development. What are we working on?"
I shook Briar's hand as I introduced myself, "I'm Miles 'Tails' Prower. I came from* Mobius to hopefully find the Seedrian Homeworld and see if it's possible to revive Cosmo from her current state. I've tried everything I could think of back on my planet, but since we don't know that much about Seedrians when it comes to this, I'm hoping you two might know something?"
"Well… It looks like an ordinary plant to me. But looks are deceiving; have you felt it's energy Orchadia? It's out of this world!" asked Briar as he, like everyone else, examined you.
Orchadia rolled her eyes and sighed irritably, "Yes, I have. Get with the program Briar. I suggest we move this to a lab where we can do a proper and thorough examination. Unless you have an objection Tails? It's your plant after all."
I couldn't help but sigh slightly as I corrected her, "It's Cosmo, but alright... That's what I came here for in the first place, so where to?"
After Dr. Goldenrod left, Orchadia and Briar led me further into the Biology/Physiology area until we reached one of their labs. I took a long look around to get used to the facility I would be working in alongside them, and I could instantly tell that I was out of my area of expertise, or anyone's area on Mobius for that matter. While the layout of the lab and a lot of the basic equipment looked similar to that of labs I visit on Mobius, their lab had other interesting pieces to it.
In one corner they had what appeared to be an incubator, but it was filled with plant life foreign to me and odd measurements on a near-by monitor. On another counter was what appeared to be a centrifuge filled with test tubes containing samples of something, but I wasn't sure since I rarely visit biological labs let alone use their specific equipment. Scattered on bookshelves around the room were various textbooks, binders, and journals with various information about their planet and the Seedrians, a couple of them being published by Doctor Goldenrod and one each from Orchadia and Briar. If anything, at least I knew I was with experts... Which made me worry a bit considering that they didn't know much themselves at first...
After I looked around, Orchadia and Briar quickly got to work analyzing your plant, Cosmo. I wanted to help since it was you and all, but I came here because I didn't know what to do. The most I could do was fetch a petri dish here, place this test tube into that machine there; it honestly felt like I was in an introductory Biology course! Only that this work was for your life, not a grade or something. When they said through, however, they weren't kidding! Soil samples, cell samples from your leaves and petals, they covered far more in hours that I did in years. Although, I admit I had to calm myself down when they did take those samples from you and remind myself that they were doing what was necessary. They were careful with your plant the whole time, so I'm more embarrassed about it if anything.
After all of those exhaustive tests, Orchadia removed her glasses to rub her eyes, "Well, that was the longest slew of testing I've ever conducted… But, the results are important if we are going to restore your plant. IF we can restore it that is."
I had been taking a break sitting down, so I looked up somewhat optimistically, "So there is a chance to restore Cosmo? What did the results say?"
"Well pal, there's news. I don't know whether you'll find it good or bad…" muttered Briar as he flipped through the packet of results. "First off, by all basic accounts, what you have here is another rose that we would find if we walked outside here. Second off though, there's traces of the kind of nutrients and elements found in us normal Seedrians. The problem is, there's so few of them that they may as well not be there at all."
"Wait... What? But that plant is 100% Cosmo! How can it be just a standard rose?"
Briar, seeing that I was getting a little upset, put up his hands, "Hang on now, don't get mad. It's not a COMPLETELY normal rose. Like I said, it has traces of the elements found in us. This rose looks like it has total potential to grow into a Seedrian, but it arrested in development early on due to a lack of the proper nutrients."
"It arrested in development? I suppose that makes sense considering Mobius is different from this place, including nutrients... But how did you know that? Have you guys seen something like this before?"
Orchadia shook her head, "Not really. We've had very few cases where a Seedrian was stuck in a child stage. However, we've never had a case that was permanent. From what I can tell, the biological makeup of the rose is identical to that of young Seedrians. There is one more thing as well… This part IS bad news…"
"If I understand so far, then Cosmo does appear like a regular rose for Seedrian standards, but the rose does contain elements found in a Seedrian? But... What's the bad news then?"
"Yes, that is the gist of it. The bad news is… this rose is sick. I don't need my knowledge and instruments to tell me that. How long has the plant been like this?"
"Do you mean as a rose in general, or what exactly?"
"How long has it been a just a rose bud?"
"She's... Been a rose bud ever since I first planted the seed I got after she sacrificed herself. Or more accurately, she sprouted into one a month or so after that... So it's been a few years, almost five I want to say?"
Orchadia winced and shook her head, "Five years? That's a long time for it-"
"Cosmo is NOT AN IT! She's Cosmo! Not some random plant!" The bad news, coupled with that, was making me lose my cool again, "I did NOT leave my planet, fly in circles around the galaxy for MONTHS, and get here only to be told that the love of my life has been reduced to a mere plant! You two are supposed to be my ray of hope, my way out of this nightmare, so don't call Cosmo an 'IT' and help me, help HER!" With that, I collapsed back to my seat and buried my face into my two tails to muffle my angry yet upset tears.
There was a long silence as Briar and Orchadia exchanged worried, sad glances before Orchadia approached your plant and gasped, "Tails… your anger… your sadness… it- I mean SHE can feel it! By the sun, it's affecting her!"
Briar got closer as well but pulled away shuddering, "Listen pal, you gotta get a hold of yourself! It's exacerbating her condition!"
"Is that enough proof for you? IS IT?! You said you'd be inclined to believe me!" I couldn't even think straight as all of my sadness and frustration was coming out. Poor Orchadia and Briar... Even though they did get on my nerves at first, they didn't need to deal with me in addition to your condition Cosmo...
Orchadia, with her acute senses, was cringing herself as she touched one of your leaves, "It's plenty of proof Tails. You must STOP now: you're hurting her, you're hurting COSMO. We want to help you Tails but we can't if you're like this. You're causing Cosmo a great deal of pain. She can feel your emotions as clearly and as well as I can feel her's. Please. Stop."
"I don't know how you can stand to be that close Orchadia. She's practically screaming in pain and it's killing me! Please, Tails, rein it in pal!" pleaded Briar as he backed into the corner, covering his ears.
It took another minute or so before I could calm myself down, and due to the way you reacted to my sorrow, Orchadia and Briar sadly felt every bit of it. When things finally did settle down, I couldn't help but feel horrible for making you, for making them, feel my pain literally. As I slowly looked back up and wiped away the tears, I saw your plant drooping like it did before in New Green Gate, more than that. Briar was still in a corner, slowly uncovering his ears, and Orchadia was still holding one of your leaves, still cringing with a few tears as well, "Orchadia... Briar... Cosmo... Sorry... It's been so hard these last few years, and I had been trying to hold this sorrow in..."
After a pause Orchadia relied, "She knows… She knows your pain. But she needs you to hang on a little more. She doesn't have the strength to carry on in this state any more. That's what I meant when I said Cosmo was sick. Her life force has been slowly ebbing away in this hibernative state."
Briar was now able to stand and add, "We Seedrians need special nutrients to mature and become what we are. Without this special nutrition, we'd ALL be like Cosmo. Judging by the series of events you told us, when Cosmo sacrificed herself, her life force was reduced to that of a tiny seed. On your planet, she reached this stage and stopped development because of a lack of the special nutrients. She has stayed in this state, conserving energy until the proper resources would be available."
"I think I understand..." I replied, trying to sort things out again, "Any living thing needs the right nutrients to live, and since Mobius didn't have that for Cosmo, she became a rose and stayed that way, almost like hibernation... Only, she still hasn't woken up..."
"She NEEDS the nutrients that the rest of Seedrians receive in the Nursery stage. She's been like this for too long and if she stays this way for much longer… I'm afraid Cosmo won't make it Tails…" explained Orchadia slowly, being deliberate and careful instead of brisk and blunt.
"I understand that part... I just want to know if there's any way we can save her from her current state. What nutrients does she need specifically? You said there's a nursery stage?"
"Ah! That's MY area of expertise. You see, we Seedrians have four stages in life: Nursery, Child, Mature, and Final," began Briar as he ticked the stages off on his fingers. "In the Nursery stage, Seedrians are not unlike Cosmo here. We are sprouts and buds. After some time and proper nutrition, a young Seedrian moves into the Child stage. The sprouts and buds have developed into Seedrians, but they are small, like well, children. When they are older, they grow and move into the Mature stage. It is in this stage that females bloom and males get their antlers."
"If I were to guess, Final involves Seedrians sacrificing themselves? Because that's what Cosmo did anyways; she turned into a giant tree to hold back Dark Oak and stop him from nearly destroying the entire galaxy, possibly even more."
Briar shrugged, "Not always. It depends. Cosmo's was an extreme case to be sure. Normally, when female Seedrians go into their Final form, it's to become what we call a Mother Tree. Males turn into huge, towering beings that are very powerful. Unlike females, males can revert back to the Mature stage as long as they don't stay transformed for too long."
Orchadia now jumped back in, having recomposed herself, "Seedrians can only go into our Final stage under strict conditions. We cannot do it on a whim. Our entire biology changes in an instant due to signals within us and in the surrounding environment."
"That's part of what makes the legend surrounding Cosmo and the salvation of our race so hard to believe. Cosmo had rose buds on her head when you traveled with her, yes? She was still in the Child stage. In an instant she went through the Mature stage and right into Final Stage. It's unheard of!"
"I didn't know that such a transformation was so drastic..." I couldn't help but think just how commonplace transformations are after seeing Sonic, Shadow, and others do them somewhat frequently, and since I was just now getting a crash course on the Seedrian life cycle, it was all new, "We already had Super Sonic and Super Shadow fighting against Dark Oak's transformation, so while Cosmo's transformation was shocking and painful, I didn't think of it like that..."
Orchadia pulled a textbook from a shelf and flipped to a page with a picture of a large, beautiful tree covered with flowers, "Indeed. This is a Mother Tree. Did the tree Cosmo transformed into look like this?"
"Yeah... Just like that... She could still talk to us, but she turned into that... And through that form, she was able to hold back Dark Oak long enough to defeat him..."
"Incredible… To our knowledge, Mother Trees have only one role, and it's certainly not to protect like that… That's the male's job in their Final stage. This could force us to rethink so many things..." muttered Briar as he flipped through another textbook.
"While I understand this must raise a whole other series of questions about Seedrians and Seedrian Development, could we please get back to Cosmo here...? If she's in a 'Nursery Stage', then what do we need to help her grow back? Or at least I hope it can work like that..."
Briar closed the textbook and chuckled sheepishly, "Sorry pal, just got a little sidetracked. In any case, she needs what all Nursery stage Seedrians need: a Mother Tree. Follow me and bring Cosmo." Briar and Orchadia led me out of the lab and down a long hallway. At the end was an elevator with a keypad and card swipe. Briar swiped a card and put in a code and once inside, the elevator took us down. We seemed to go down forever until at last the doors opened to reveal a huge underground cavern.
It was a stark difference from what I had seen upstairs; there was no rooms or walls, for it was just a humongous cave with a dirt floor and a rocky ceiling supported by a few metal struts here and there to compensate for the weight of the facilities above it. Jutting from the ceilings were yellow crystals that shone as bright as the sun itself, making the cave seem like it was in broad daylight instead of darkness. The nearer to the center I went, the more I noticed a thickening mat of grass beneath my feet. I have never seen grass that green and full of life before or since. Square in the middle of this wonder was a huge tree, just like the one in Orchadia's book.
The Mother Tree's bark was smooth, deep, and rich brown and its branches reached up so high, they brushed the ceiling. Tucked carefully between the thick green leaves were flowers of all shapes, colors and sizes. Some were tightly closed buds and others were spread wide open in bloom. At the base of the tree, several roots stuck up above the ground with small saplings sprouting from them. It was so gorgeous it practically took my breath away.
After a moment I finally spoke, "Whoa... So this is a Mother Tree up close; it looks similar to Cosmo's Transformation, but smaller in scale. This Mother Tree has a lot of different flowers as well, and I assume those yellow crystals function to bring solar energy to her even though she's in a cave?"
Orchadia nodded, proudly beaming, "Smart observation. The spires jutting from the building above collect massive amounts of sunlight and its channeled down here where it shines through the crystals and gives this Mother Tree, or Stariana as she was called before her transformation, all the sunshine she could ever need. Additionally, she's rooted down here so she's closer to the Planet Egg. It makes her healthier and by proxy her children healthier. I'm still looking into it, but I theorize it's by utilizing Planet Egg energy that gives us Seedrians our close connection to all plant life."
"Stariana is the third female to go into her Final stage and become a Mother Tree here on Cosmathia. Females are born from the flowers in her leaves and males are born from her roots. All of those flowers and saplings are in the Nursery stage. Stariana nurtures them with the sunlight and energy she draws from the Planet Egg. When they have received enough nutrients and energy, they move into the Child stage. It's a wondrous process. Look there!" explained Briar before pointing up at one of the bloomed flowers up in the branches.
The flower, which looked to be a dandelion, began to glow. The glow got brighter and brighter until the glowing bloom fell from the tree and drifted gently onto the ground. It grew in size, closing up as it did. With a final burst of light, the jagged leaves surrounding it fell away to reveal a Seedrian child, no bigger than Autumn was when he was born. She sat up sleepily and rubbed her eyes as two other scientists approached her with a blanket and reassuring smiles. The child was wrapped up and carried away to another room to be taken care of.
Briar sighed happily, "That's why I love this job pal. I get to see the miracle of life every single day!"
"Wow... That's..." I was left speechless seeing such a process with my own eyes. Even though we were dealing with your revival Cosmo, I couldn't help but be amazed by your people and what they had accomplished in the short time that they were reborn, "Amazing... Um, Briar, so is it possible that the Mother Tree can help Cosmo?"
The Seedrian's grin faded a little as he looked from your plant to the Mother Tree and back again, "I would like to think so… I suppose the question would be HOW… She's already planted in that pot so I don't know how we would connect her to the Mother Tree…"
Orchadia fiddled with her glasses as she considered this new problem, "I would suggest planting her at the base, but I don't think that would work; that's where the males grow… Perhaps, we could graft her to one of the branches?"
"That could work... It would take some time though. She's just a bud, a very weak bud at that; she would definitely need time for the Mother Tree to accept her and nurture her properly," mused Briar.
"Is there anything else that could help Cosmo to make up for the lost nutrients?" I asked, wanting to help in any way possible.
"We haven't really tried researching things to speed up Seedrian development. It kinda goes against our ethics, pal. But, there is one small thing we DO have. Its a small supplement that we use for Seedrians that are sick. It gives them a little pick-me-up so to speak to help give them the strength to fight off the illness."
"As luck would have it, my department finished a test-ready formula for the Nursery Stage not too long ago. Normally we don't tamper with the Mother Tree in any shape or form, but we've noticed that sometimes a few of the Nursery blooms and saplings don't get enough nutrients or have a problem of some sort," added Orchadia. "It's a natural part of nature to lose a few here and there, but if there's something to be done to save those who can be, why not try?"
"Yeah, that's what I meant. Something to help Cosmo. How long should we wait?" I was getting slightly more optimistic as we were planning this, but I couldn't help but push further.
Briar exhaled and scratched his head, "Well, me personally, I wouldn't want to try and graft Cosmo to the Mother Tree right now. She's too weak; the shock could kill her…"
"Right..." I sighed, scratching my own head, "Should we slowly add the formula Orchadia mentioned first? Or do you have another way?"
Orchadia leaned down and touched one of your leaves once more as she nodded, "Yes, that would be the wisest course of action. We'll mix the supplement into her water for a few days and see if there's some improvement. If she perks up, we'll proceed with the graft. If not, we'll figure something else out."
"A few days...? Alright, if that's the best idea you guys can come up with... Then I'll trust you guys. Hang in there a bit more Cosmo..."
Tails took in a deep breath as he reached for what would be his fifth cup of coffee. Cosmo's face was creased in a frown of deep thought. She waited patiently until Tails had swallowed his gulp of coffee before saying, "So… my people multiply via a Mother Tree… That makes sense. I remember before the Metarex came my sister Galaxina and I used to go visit this beautiful garden with a huge tree, our mother Earthia. But that begs the question…"
"What question Cosmo-" Tails stopped as he looked in the direction of where the twins were sleeping, "Oh, you mean the twins?"
"Yes. Obviously I didn't turn back into a tree when I had them. They were born in the same way a Mobian would. Just like all of this I never really thought about it but now it puzzles me greatly. Is it because I had children with YOU instead of another Seedrian?" pondered Cosmo as she tried to remember long faded memories of before the Metarex.
"Huh... The way we are now, it would've driven those two insane since this does defy Seedrian logic... Hm... I think I have an idea, but it involves something else that happened."
Cosmo sighed and smiled slightly, "I'll have to wait MORE, won't I?"
"Heh heh, just a bit more my sweet blossom," Tails chuckled before giving a yawn, "I hope so anyways cause this coffee isn't going to keep me up much longer."
"It's alright Tails. I've waited this long. Besides, I'd prefer to get it all in order so it makes sense. Please, keep going my love."
Where was I? This is where things get a little confusing for me… Oh yeah, so we gave you the formula Orchadia and the scientists created to help you get some of your strength back. The next few days were absolute agony because I had to leave your plant down in the Mother Cave; that's what they called the place with the Mother Tree. While Briar was happy to share his place with me, it was maddening not having you with me. I was so used to you always being right there, the first couple of nights I would wake up and panic when I didn't see your pot sitting on the nightstand!
Still though, it was a necessary measure. Briar and Orchadia were both 100 percent sure the light from the crystals in the cave would do you good as well. So for about a week I came to visit you religiously and watered you every single day with the formula. At the end of that week, Orchadia, Briar, and I evaluated your condition.
I held my breath as Orchadia gently touched your leaves and stem. She concentrated hard as Briar stood by, writing down his own observations on a clipboard. After what felt like an eternity, Orchadia turned to me with a smile, "It worked! She's still on shaky ground but I believe she's got enough strength to survive a graft."
"You think so?" I asked, a bit enthusiastic, "I don't want to hurt Cosmo, but if she's strong enough for this, then I'm ready to give it a shot!"
Man, I was so nervous when Briar and Orchadia took your pot. Using this awesome hover platform of sorts, we went up to the branches of the Mother Tree. Orchadia carefully removed you from your pot, being as ginger as possible with your fragile roots and rose bud. Briar found a branch that wasn't occupied by another flower and made a slanting incision through the bark. My stomach was doing somersaults as they worked together to tuck your plant into the gap and bind it shut. The graft completed, I sprayed your leaves and bud with a bit of the formula just to help you get over the shock.
When all three of us came back down, we looked up at where your plant was grafted on the Mother Tree. "How much longer should we wait?"
Orchadia looked to Briar, "That's your department. All I know is that my formula will get her through the night until the graft takes."
"Well, the Mother Tree heals remarkably fast. By this time tomorrow, Cosmo's bud will be one with the Mother Tree. As for how long it will take… Hmm.." Briar looked at the other flowers, all in various points of blooming, "On average, when a new bud appears on the Mother Tree it takes about a month and half, up to two at the most for it to fully bloom, fall from the tree and birth a new Seedrian."
"Right... But since this is a unique case, who knows huh?" I was getting a little nervous, so instinctively I pulled out the vial I received from Planet Marmolim. Since Orchadia and Briar had told me to try and relax when around your plant, I used the vial to calm myself down and think of better thoughts.
Briar spotted it and pointed curiously, "What's that pal?"
"Huh? Ah, this is a charm I picked up during my travels to find this planet. It's a vial of water from a magical lake from the Planet Marmolim. They were the ones that also pointed me in the direction of your planet surprisingly enough."
"Magical lake? Charm?" scoffed Orchadia with disbelief, "Sounds like a bunch of nonsense. Really, Tails I didn't take you for one to believe in such ridiculousness!"
I sighed for a moment before clarifying, "Well usually I don't Orchadia, don't get me wrong. But... While the other planets I visited didn't have a clue about this planet, not to mention one of them sent me to the old planet Green Gate, the Marmolims were able to show me the location of your planet just by reading the stars. About the magical lake itself, however, that was supposedly one of their strongest love spells when a couple falls in during a full moon. Whether or not it was an actual 'spell,' I wound up falling in there with Cosmo, and that's where I knew without a doubt that Cosmo and I were meant for each other. Since they remembered that time, they gave me a vial from that lake before I came here." I took a deep breath as I realized that I had been ranting, "Sorry about that, but 'magic' or not, that's why that 'nonsense' is important to me."
Orchadia did not reply, she merely looked down at her shoes, seemingly embarrassed at having to jumped to conclusions. "Sorry, I didn't realize it meant so much to you…"
"That's quite the story pal," added Briar as he put a comforting hand on Orchadia's shoulder, "You see, we fall in love, but it's different in a way. It's kinda hard to explain but it's clear that you and Cosmo share something even more special than any other kind of love."
I held onto the vial a bit tighter as I replied, "Yeah... I hope that explains why I've been all over the place since we met. It's also why I've been trying so hard to bring her back. Orchadia, Briar, thanks for what you've done so far, and sorry if I've gotten on your nerves..."
"It's fine pal. I can't imagine what you're going through, but all things considered, you're taking it like a champ!"
Orchadia cleared her throat before nodding in agreement, "Yes, your efforts are honorable indeed. Cosmo is lucky to have someone like you to take care of her. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to see you again when she returns."
So then I did what I had been doing for years now: I waited some more! I can't say I was bored though. Sure, for the first few days I did nothing more than visit your plant at the Mother Tree and mope around Briar's home, but soon enough he encouraged me to look around Earthia-la and explore. When I did look around the capital, I was more amazed from what I saw up close in comparison to the view I saw from above when I first got here. Despite being a large city, even by our standards on Mobius, the Seedrians were still close to each other and had plant life growing everywhere. They were a bit wary of me at first, since not many visitors went to their planet, but after a few days they got used to me, at least I hoped!
I spend a lot of time in the capitol building itself because that was where most of their science related things were. I learned all kinds of things about creating and utilizing clean, renewable energy. I also paid a visit to the department where they develop aircraft. The Seedrians had interesting designs about how to make a craft completely aerodynamic with the least amount of drag; I was wildly impressed! Heck, it's thanks to the time I spent with Seedrian scientists that our home is completely energy independent and the latest Tornado that I built is the sleek beauty it is!
However, don't think I just took a bunch of their ideas; I shared a few of my own as well. One problem the Seedrians did have is that they had so many ways of harnessing boundless natural energy, but they didn't have anywhere to put it in case of emergency. Since I work with Chaos Emeralds so often, I happen to know a thing or two about working with and storing HUGE amounts of energy. I helped them develop generators that could handle tremendous surges of power and batteries that could store enough energy to power the whole city for a few hours if something happened. It felt really good to be able to give something, ANYTHING back to them since they were helping me out so much...
When I wasn't working in one of their labs, I sometimes ventured further to take a look around and experience their planet for myself. I don't know just how similar or different Cosmathia is in comparison to Green Gate, but when I wasn't worried about you, I enjoyed the time I spent there. Sure it took some time getting used to their way of life, such as tending to the various plants or the different nutrients and plants they ate. I had been traveling for so long, I had already forgotten the flavor of food on Mobius!
A couple of times I also ventured beyond the capital to see the wildlife of their planet up close. While I'm no expert on such things, everything I saw was vastly different in comparison to the various areas back home. If it wasn't for the fact that I could fly, I would've gotten lost multiple times in the middle of a forest. The view from the treetops was really nice too, especially one night when I went to look at the stars. I took that opportunity to map for myself the location of the planet in relation to Mobius in hopes of being able to bring you back one day. The night sky, along with the way their moon illuminated alongside the stars and the rings around the planet, made me miss having you by my side.
Even though I was having all of these amazing experiences, I couldn't help that the wait was turning out be longer than we expected. Briar had said the average time for the Nursery Stage was 2 months max and yet two and half had already gone by. Of course the circumstances were anything but average, but I couldn't stop the anxiety from creeping back in. Your rose had grown into the branch just fine and you looked healthier than ever before. At about a month and a half, the petals of your bud had snapped open and bloomed.
Heh, heh… don't tell anyone but… when I saw your bud bloom, I went up to get a closer look. As soon as I was level with your bloom, I… I just burst into tears… I couldn't help myself; it gave off the most wonderful scent. It smelled JUST like you… The smell made you seem like you were right next to me… Dammit, it still makes me tear up just thinking about it…
I'm sorry Cosmo, gimme a moment ok...?
Whew…
Ok, AHEM!
Where was I?
Right, your rose had bloomed. While that was awesome and all, it still hadn't fallen from the Mother Tree like it was supposed to. Of course I pestered Orchadia and Briar about it, but they were just as clueless as I was. The only thing they could tell me was that you were healthy and getting all the nourishment and energy you needed. So I continued to wait. It was starting to take its toll though… Your rose up there on that tree was all I could think about. I was worried that it could fall when I was away so I stopped venturing out as much. I knew I had to patient and strong but it so hard…
Then, one day, I went to say goodnight to you before heading home with Briar. I sat up there telling you about my meager activities that day, all alone in the Mother Cave. At one point I stopped talking and I just stared at your rose, drinking in your aroma and fighting the heartache trying to burst to the surface… I pulled out the vial and held it in my hands. The light from the crystals made the liquid inside sparkle like liquid starlight, just like the night we fell in together.
I looked up at your rose again, "Cosmo…? When we bring you back… you'll remember won't you? You'll remember everything we had…? Everything we shared…?" You didn't answer of course and even though it made perfect sense why, it just made me feel worse. "Please, please don't forget Cosmo. Don't forget that party you threw for us. Don't forget the adventures we shared… and please, if nothing else…" I looked down at the vial of shimmering lake water, clutching tightly in my hands, "I don't know if you can hear me but… PLEASE… don't forget the moon, the stars… me… Don't forget that night…"
Your rose still gave me no reply, so I decided that I should leave before my feelings got out of hand and hurt you. But before I left I figured I would give you a little spritz of Orchadia's formula. It couldn't hurt right? So I grabbed the spray bottle and loaded it with the proper dosage. It has to be diluted in water in order to be administered so I was reaching for a beaker of water but I stopped.
I don't know why, or what I was thinking, but I decided to use the water from the vial to dilute the formula instead. I was still feeling really emotional so I guess I thought that if I used that special water than maybe you wouldn't forget… some how, some way it would remind you… It seems silly now and it did back then too. But at the same time, it seemed right, it still does all things considered…
So I went back up and I sprayed your rose with the formula and lake water. Nothing happened; it just made your petals glossy. I was nearing the Mother Cave's exit and I could hear Briar shouting from around the corner, "Come on Tails! If you don't hurry up pal, I'm gonna leave you down here!" I reached the elevator and jumped in. Briar was cracking his usual jokes and I tried to joke right back as we waited for the doors to close. There was a ding and the doors began to close.
At first, I thought I was seeing things, but I quickly realized that what I was seeing was real. A bright, white light was shining from around the corner I had just came from. I was stunned, frozen in place, and unsure of what to do. It hit me right then: the doors were closing. The light was now a sliver as the doors slid neatly into one another. I snapped out my daze just in time to shove my hand into the tiny crack and force the doors open once more.
I can barely remember hearing Briar shout, "Whoa, where the heck are you going?!" His voice seemed to come from far away, almost from another world. I ran around the corner and was stopped in my tracks by what I saw. Up in the boughs of the Mother Tree was your rose, glowing, nearly flashing light. My mouth slowly fell open in awe, as your rose fell from it's branch and floated gracefully to the cave floor. Your petals, which had gone from scarlet red to moonlight white, grew in size and began to close up. Much to my surprise, it grew to a much larger size than the dandelion Seedrian whose birth I had witnessed. I held my breath, waiting. At last, the petal snapped open and fell away with one more bright flash.
There you were… laying in the middle of the rose… You were every bit as beautiful as I had remembered you. Your dress was the same, minus the amulet of course. Your hair seemed longer but the roses on the sides of your head were closed up again. Tears were streaming down my face as I fell to my knees beside you, "Co-co-Cosmo…?" I waited for you open your eyes and look all sleepy and confused like the Seedrian child but you just remained still. I gave a gentle shake, "Cosmo…? Cosmo? Cosmo!"
"Sweet setting sun of the south!" exclaimed Briar as he came around the corner, "It's HER! It's, it's really HER!"
"Yes! This is Cosmo, but she won't wake up! COSMO!" I had to stop shaking you and bang my fist against the floor to stop possibly hurting you, "Why isn't she waking up?!"
Briar instantly knelt next to you and took your hand, "Hold on pal, don't panic just yet." After holding your hand for a few moments, he sighed in relief, "It's ok, she's alive. She's alive ok? Just take it down a notch."
I had to give myself a moment to calm down, still holding onto the vial that was now empty, "I... How..? ... Will she wake up?"
"I don't know Tails… I can't even tell why she's NOT waking up. There's nothing wrong with her, Cosmo is perfectly healthy. I'm even more confused by the fact that she's practically in the Mature stage! Her flowers are still buds, but how can this even happen?!"
"She turned into this form before becoming a Mother Tree, even if it was for a short moment... I don't know..."
Briar stood, "We need to call Orchadia. If anybody will know what's happening, it's her. I'll be right back!" Briar ran off to go and call up Orchadia, leaving me alone with you and the emptiness of the Mother Cave. All I could do was stare at your face and hold you close. I had come all this way and waited so long only for this to happen. It didn't seem fair and I thought that this would be the moment I finally lost my mind.
Not even 20 minutes later Orchadia burst out of the elevator running so fast she nearly fell at our side, "I came as soon as Briar called! What EXACTLY happened?!"
I shifted away slightly so that Orchadia saw you lying where you bloomed, "I was visiting Cosmo as usual when I decided to give her some supplements I had leftover. Instead of using standard water, however, I used my special vial because I was getting worried that she wouldn't wake up with her memories intact. I know it could've been dangerous, and that doesn't sound logical, but then this happened! But the sad thing is that she WON'T WAKE UP!" By now I was coming undone again so I had to calm myself while Orchadia processed all that.
"Ok, ok, just breathe Tails. I'll give you some good news right now: you're not hurting Cosmo. If you can't hold in, you don't have to anymore, but I'd really prefer if you stay calm. Got it?" asked Orchadia. Her glasses had slid down her face when she had stumbled and I noticed for the first time her eyes were a piercing gray. That penetrating stare brought me back and I was able to take a few deep breaths and nod.
"Do you think it was the extra dose of supplements and/or that water that's causing her not to wake up?" asked Briar as he carefully looked Cosmo up and down.
Orchadia cupped her hands around yours Cosmo and shook her head, "I don't know since the supplements are still experimental on Nursery Seedrians, and that doesn't even account for the vial mixing- No... I'm not even focusing but I can already tell there's something else wrong. Just give me a moment..." She closed her eyes and concentrated fiercely, "Ok… Cosmo is fine. Except for the fact she won't wake up, our plan worked perfectly. There's something odd I'm sensing though… It's a foreign energy that's mingling with the energy from the Planet Egg… What is that?
"Foreign energy...?" I thought for another moment before I pulled out the White Chaos Emerald I had on me. Since I wasn't going anywhere, I took the Chaos Emerald out of the X-Tornado for safekeeping. "On Mobius, a major energy that interacts with us is Chaos Energy, provided by the Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald. Perhaps this is the foreign energy... Hm..."
"Wait… Did Cosmo come in contact with any of those during your journey? Like when she was a Mother Tree?" asked Briar cautiously.
"Come in contact..." I had to take another deep breath since they didn't know, "Chaos Energy was how Dark Oak found us, it's how we fought the Metarex, it's how Super Sonic and Super Shadow fought against Dark Oak, it's how Cosmo was sacrificed, it's probably how her seed even was found, it's..." I was starting to hyperventilate as the memories were coming back, just as painful as before.
Orchadia gently put your hand down by her side as she finished for me, "It's the energy I'm sensing… A powerful force that is peaceful yet destructive at the same time... When that happened, your… Chaos Energy must have fused with her…"
Briar put his strong hands on my shoulders as I began to sway from dizziness, "Mother Trees are like giant sponges, they absorb all the energy they're exposed to and use it to nourish their offspring. In that final battle, Cosmo absorbed the Chaos Energy, and it's a part of her now. It does beg a new question about the mystery of Chaos Energy in relation to Reborn Seedrians... Anyways, that's what missing! As a Seedrian, all of her needs have been met but I'd bet my office that she needs a huge spark of Chaos Energy to complete her revival!"
"A huge spark...?" I contemplated while looking at the Emerald, "Then this Emerald isn't enough... Especially not in my hands... What are the odds that Sonic has all seven- make that six, right now, or by the time I get back for that matter...? Hm... I suppose the only solution left would be the Master Emerald..."
Seeing that Orchadia and Briar were the ones confused for once, I quickly explained while gesturing to the White Emerald, "Chaos Energy is most commonly focused through the Chaos Emeralds: seven powerful gems that can grant users the power to either perform incredible acts of bravery or bring about the destruction of all life. When brought together, their power amplifies and can be used for temporary Super Forms, similar in concept to a Seedrian's Final Stage. The Master Emerald, however, acts as a… how to put it… It's the server, the source. The seven emeralds get their power from the Master Emerald. It can give them more power or take it away completely, but in the proper hands, the Master Emerald itself is capable of acts that exceeds the Chaos Emerald's capabilities. Does that make sense?"
"Mostly. I suppose the important question would whether or not this Master Emerald will be able to provide the spark needed to fully revive Cosmo?" replied Orchadia, as she exchanged bewildered glances with Briar.
"The Master Emerald is THE pinnacle of Chaos Energy. If the Master Emerald can't do it, then... I'd rather not think of that outcome. If I remember, the last move Super Sonic and Super Shadow used was 'Chaos Regeneration.' Maybe if I can have Knuckles call on the Master Emerald, that feat can be done again to give Cosmo the last spark! Orchadia, Briar, thanks for all the help about Seedrians, but now it's my turn! ... I'll have to head back to my homeworld Mobius for this, however."
Briar gasped, "Are you sure, pal? Cosmo may be alright right now but I can't guarantee she'll be like that forever. If something goes wrong or you get lost you could lose her for good…"
"I know the risks; I travelled all the way here with Cosmo on her last legs remember? But I appreciate it. I mapped out the path between Mobius and Cosmathia on one of the nights I was out in order to head home. I would also like it if you guys gave me a couple more samples of that supplement just in case... If anything, it might be useful for us back home in case something else comes up."
Orchadia instantly went over to one of the cabinets lining the walls, "Of course, whatever you need Tails." She returned with a large bottle filled with a more stable supplement formula for Mature Seedrians, "Here, this has enough for about 10 small doses or 5 large doses. Travel swiftly and safely. Oh yes and Tails…?"
I looked at the supplement bottle and looked back up, "Yeah Orchadia?"
"You have to promise to come back and visit as soon as you can. Got it?"
"Yeah," chimed in Briar, "I've gotten used to you crashing at my place. You better not be a stranger, pal!"
I was left speechless for a moment, "Definitely... If- WHEN I revive Cosmo, we'll visit together. Then you guys can meet her for yourselves and we can repay you for all of this. Orchadia, Briar, I can't thank you guys enough..."
"Yes, well… In the meantime take care of Cosmo. She's the savior of our race you know!" said Orchadia briskly as she suddenly looked down to clean her glasses.
Briar elbowed her gently, "Come on Orchadia, it's ok to be emotional for once. It's not gonna kill you!"
"Of all the most ridiculous-!" I couldn't help but laugh as I saw Orchadia blush for the first time. She elbowed Briar back much more harshly and replaced her glasses onto her face, "Now then, if the tomfoolery is over and done with, BRIAR! Ahem. You should be on your way Tails. We look forward to your visit."
"As big of a party pooper she is, Orchadia's right pal. We'll see you on the flip side!"
With a final goodbye, I packed up what things I had, which was actually a bit more than what I arrived with considering the fact that I picked up a few souvenirs, had the bottle of Seedrian supplements, and your sleeping body. Thank goodness there wasn't a galatic customs or something around or else that would've looked really weird... Then again, nothing will trump the Spilavkhvlr... Ugh...
Anyways, back on track. I reinstalled the White Chaos Emerald into the X-Tornado and took off for what I hoped was the last time. I looked at the scenery of Earthia-la from the air once more before turning around and blasting off into space, this time headed home. Since I was headed straight home instead of searching for a planet in a galaxy, I was able to get back in a matter of weeks. When I was finally approaching the atmosphere of Mobius, making my slow entry, it had barely occurred to me that I was gone for around an entire year! I had missed Sonic and Knuckles and everyone else while I was gone, but I was so focused on my mission to revive you that I didn't realize that all of those months and weeks that had gone by had accumulated into that!
Now officially back on Mobius, I flew a little lower, taking in the planet that I had left behind for so long. Now that I was back, I realized how grateful I was to be home! As I flew over forests and small foothills, I suddenly heard a thunderous boom. At first I was confused, there wasn't a cloud in the gorgeous blue sky. Looking down, however, immediately gave me my answer. Following me on the ground was a billowing dust cloud trailing behind a streak of blue. "SONIC!" I shouted as I opened up the cockpit and flew in even lower.
He sped up until he was right beside me, "TAILS! YOU'RE BACK!" If there was any indicator of how long I'd been gone, it was the huge grin spread across Sonic's face. I'll always remember that grin, he was so happy to see me. Frankly I must have had one one similar! It'd been so long and I was over the moon about being welcomed back by a friendly face. "So what happened? Did you revive Cosmo?"
"It's a looong story! I'll meet you on Angel Island and explain everything to you and Knuckles."
"Cool! Race you!" There was another sonic boom and my big bro was gone. After making sure you were secure, I hit the gas and blasted off toward Angel Island.
Since I was still used to space-travel, I reached Angel Island in a matter of minutes, but as usual, Sonic was already there waiting with Knuckles near the altar of the Master Emerald. I found a spot close to the altar and landed the X-Tornado. Before the engine even powered down I was already out and running towards Sonic and Knuckles.
"SONIC! KNUCKLES! HEY!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, nearly crashing into them Amy-style.
"Oh my Chaos Tails, do you know long you've been gone?!" yelled Knuckles as he practically crushed me in a hug.
Sonic was doing the same, "It's been a long, boring, bro-less year but we are SO glad you're back!"
"Guys, I'm glad to be back!" I let myself almost get crushed for quite a while before I stopped and added, "However, I'm not done yet."
"What do you mean little bro? And where's Cosmo? You promised me an explanation, and I'm holding you to it!" questioned Sonic as he tapped his foot impatiently.
"Alright alright! Well first let me give you a rundown of what happened..." I did my best to quickly summarize everything that had happened to me over the past year: from spending months searching for your planet and being misled, to being helped by the Marmolims, to arriving at Planet Cosmathia, New Green Gate, and Capital Earthia-la, about Orchadia and Briar, and anything else important. Which led me to my main issue.
"Two and a half months after Orchadia, Briar, and I grafted Cosmo's Plant to their Mother Tree, Cosmo reacted to the vial I had obtained from Marmolim. Or maybe my memories, or a lot of other things. Anyways, she finally fell from the Mother Tree and bloomed... Only to still be in a coma of sorts. She was revived as a Mature Seedrian like she was right before she transformed when we fought the Metarex, which partially explains why the Mother Tree couldn't fully restore her. The other reason why she hasn't woken up yet is why I'm here right now."
Knuckles blinked several times as he tried to take in everything, "Geez Tails… That's a pretty crazy story! I'm still trying to believe that the Marmolims were actually helpful! I think we all remember how 'helpful' their stupid charms were."
"Don't remind me!" said Sonic with a slight cringe. "But Tails, if the Mother Tree thing didn't do the trick, what will?"
I couldn't help but chuckle as I responded, "Even in space, it comes back to the Chaos Emeralds! Since Cosmo was affected by Chaos Energy during her time as a Mother Tree, she absorbed it as part of her own composition. In other words, she's now connected to Chaos Energy like the rest of us and needs the Emeralds' power to awaken. Or at least that's what we thought of back on Cosmathia..."
"I get you… Chaos Regeneration made Cosmo what she was before you left. Now it will pick up where the Mother Tree left off and restore her to the way she should be!" surmised Knuckles. He put a hand on my shoulder, "Tails, my guardian powers and the Master Emerald are at your service! Just tell me what you need me to do!"
"Do you think you can call upon the Master Emerald now? Cause Cosmo is right here..." I ran back to the X-Tornado, flew into the cockpit to pick you up gently, and flew back to find the guys staring in shock.
Sonic scratched his ear and commented, "Either it's just me or you weren't kidding when you said she's a 'Mature Seedrian'. She looks older, like somehow she caught up with the rest of us or something!"
"How can you tell? It's been so long I'd almost forgotten what she looked like in general!" added Knuckles before taking a deep breath, "Well then, I guess we should get started. Bring her closer to the Master Emerald, Tails."
Without hesitation, I slowly carried you to the top of the Master Emerald's altar, setting you down carefully near it. I looked over to Knuckles, "Is this okay...?"
"Perfect. Stand back a little…" I took a step backwards to stand beside Sonic who put a comforting arm around me. Knuckles took a deep breath and held his hands above your body, "The servers are the seven Chaos. Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart. The heart is the controller. The controller serves to unify the Chaos… I, Knuckles the Echidna, guardian of the Master Emerald, call on the powers of the Chaos now."
"Look!" I whispered, pointing to your still motionless body. As Knuckles spoke, a light began to gleam from the depths of the Master Emerald, as well as your chest, right from where your amulet used to be.
"In the past, you shared your energy with Cosmo, the one brought here before you. I ask of you Master Emerald, share that energy with her again! Revive her!" The lights grew brighter and brighter until Knuckles was squinting and Sonic and I had to cover our eyes. "CHAOS… REGENERATION!" A series of bright flashes and the sweet aroma of roses filled the air with petals suddenly on a breeze that had been non-existent only a moment before.
I managed to open my eyes in time to see the petals swirling round and round your body, lifting you into the air. The whirlwind closed in before exploding outwards, revealing you just as I had seen you in those final moments. Dress rippling, long hair flowing and big, fragrant roses now in full bloom on your head… You floated down and landed gracefully on you feet, eyes still closed. The light faded away and the breeze died. I saw you sway on your feet and in an instant I was beside you. I held my tears back this time as I hesitantly asked, "Cosmo…?"
Tails, whose shoulders shook as he held back the flood of emotion threatening to burst
forth, managed to choke out, "Th-then… You opened your eyes and… and you said… you said…"
Tears were flowing freely down Cosmo's flushed cheeks as she took Tails' hands in hers, "Let me finish the story, my love. I heard you call my name and I opened my eyes to see you looking down at me. Your eyes were so full of joy and tears. When I saw you, I smiled and I s-said t-to y-you…" Cosmo took a second to control the shaking of her own voice, " I said, 'I'll ALWAYS remember Tails… No matter what, I will ALWAYS remember'..."
The dam that had been holding back the majority of Tails' emotions finally burst as he collapsed into Cosmo's arms and sobbed, "Oh Cosmo, I love you so much! If I had to do it all again I would! If I had to go to the other side to the universe I would do it for you because I just love you SO much!"
"I love you too Tails! You the best husband and father I could ever ask for! You've been through so much for me and I can't thank you enough. I'll always love you no matter what happens!" cried Cosmo as she squeezed Tails tightly and buried her face into his fur. After a few minutes of crying into each others arms, the couple dried each other's tears and sat cuddled together in silence for a few moments more.
"I really do love you more than anything in this world Cosmo. You and the two beautiful children sleeping in the next room are my whole world and I wouldn't have it any other way," repeated Tails as he hugged Cosmo tight, wrapping his twin namesakes around her as he did.
Cosmo hugged him back just as tight, "I'd rather be a houseplant for eternity than change this wonderful life we have together… Thank you for telling me that story. I love you Tails, and I always will."
"I love you too Cosmo… More than anything else… And you're more than welcome my sweet blossom," Despite how tired he was, Tails swept Cosmo off her feet and carried her into their bedroom. After sharing a passionate kiss, they climbed into bed as husband and wife and fell asleep, happy, and in each others arms.
The End
Author Notes (8-8-2015):
SonicFanaticInc.:
Whew! That was a doozey! I haven't done a story with this many OCs since my story Curse of Immunity! Me and Werehog had a ton of fun with this one and it's personally one of my favorites. I can't tell you how much fun and how HARD it is to basically come up with the fine details for a race that was never really expanded upon. We're not huge fans of Sonic X but I think I speak for both us when I say that that crap show left us with all the leg room we needed for the Seedrians. Anyways, I hope you guys had plenty of feels with this one and that you all liked it! As always everyone, please read, review, and most of all, enjoy!
Werehog20:
Hello everyone, Werehog20 here upholding my set time for once! When we got stuck explaining how Cosmo was alive in Independence Day Reminiscences, I started thinking about this one and planned it out with SonicFanatic before we finished the other! This one has to be one of my new favorites as well since it shows our take on this situation and allowed us to mix up our styles in a different way. Thinking about the ways that Tails would try to bring back Cosmo tugs at my heart, and I hope that feeling came through here. Hope you all enjoyed, and we'll see you later!
